Gunstar Hephaestus
The Hephaestus is a Prometheus Class Gunstar, one of the work horses of the Colonial Fleet. It makes up what it lacks in size and firepower with speed and utility. Poseidon Gunstars operate as escorts for civilian ships, support for the larger Battlestars, and often operate in "wolf packs" of several Gunstars. Over its history both before and during the war, the Hephaestus has proven itself not only incredibly effective but also unbelievably versatile and ready to fit any situation. History The First Hephaestus The Gunstar Hephaestus was constructed in 1949 on Leonis and added to that Colony's personal fleet. A few years later, Hephaestus saw her first action in the First Cylon War. The Gunstar was lost with all hands in an engagement with the enemy over Virgon in 1960. Hephaestus' sacrifice was noted as a decisive factor contributing to a Colonial victory over a superior enemy force. Rebirth and History Before the War The second Hephaestus was the seventh Prometheus Class Gunstar built for the Colonial Fleet. Her hull was laid down in 1992 and the ship itself was finally rolled off the assembly line and pressed into service in 1994. Hephaestus' first several years of service were fairly quiet. The Gunstar performed a shakedown cruise, held an initial posting at the Scorpia Shipyards, and was later transferred briefly to the orbital garrison of Caprica and Gemenon. In 1995, the Hephaestus began the first of five consecutive rotations along the Red Line. Six months on and six months off her crew guarded the Twelve Colonies from the potential dangers that lurked in the unknown darkness beyond. In 2000, Hephaestus was reassigned to the heart of the Colonies, in the Helios Alpha System, for the foreseeable future. In 2001, Hephaestus was part of a task group that responded to a terrorist attack on Caprica. The Gunstar and two of her sister ships were dispatched after the terrorist group, made a combat landing on the sparsely populated planet of Icarus, and assaulted the enemy base. Hephaestus and her crew were commended for their efficiency and professionalism in the operation. In 2003, Hephaestus again saw action as hostile activity picked up in their system. Hepheastus' Battlestar Group was dispatched to deal with heavy piracy believed to be based out of the many moons of the gas giant Zeus. What followed was one of the largest battles since the end of the First Cylon War. The ragtag pirate fleet swarmed the Colonial forces in a desperate defense of their home base. Hephaestus helped spearhead the Colonial offensive, grappling with and then boarding the pirate flagship. In her efforts to quickly subdue the enemy forces, Hephaestus took the brunt of the enemy fire but in so doing assured a decisive Colonial victory. Prior to Joining the Fleet Hephaestus was stationed at Colonial Fleet Headquarters on Picon on March 5th, 2004, the day of the Cylon Attack. The vessel was docked at a ground drydock undergoing major repairs after its last operation. It was here that it lay when the rest of the active fleet was annihilated in the skies above. In the midst of the attack, Admiral Richard Castle organized what survivors he could and led them to the docked ship which was still off line and not completely repaired at the time. Under Castle's guidance, the ragtag crew managed to get the Gunstar airborne and jumped away while still in low atmosphere. Hephaestus' new crew was comprised of an overwhelming number of marines (even for a ship compliment intending to be 45% marines). Only about 5% of the entire non-marine crew were actually trained and active duty personnel for their positions. Most of those serving in other departments from engineering to the deck to CIC were dock workers more familiar with building the ships than flying them. A handful of pilots, both those at Fleet HQ for business and a few former Viper jocks who had since moved on to administrative roles, manged to outfit one under-strength fighter squadron. The one common factor of the crew was their shared survival story and their devotion to Admiral Castle for rescuing them. Since Joining the Fleet Hephaestus traveled alone for 27 days after the attack. The ship was initially in no fit state to fight anyone even if the odds were a bit more "fair." The Gunstar still needed last minute repairs and the crews needed to familiarize themselves with the demands of their positions as well as the nature of service aboard a star ship. Four days after determining that the ship and the crew were finally prepared, the Hephaestus stumbled across Hyperion and her civilian fleet. Only moments later, a Cylon Basestar also arrived. Together the two Colonial warships destroyed the Cylon craft and Hephaestus attached itself to Hyperion's Battlestar Group. Admiral Castle transferred his flag to the Hyperion and assumed command of the entire fleet. Hephaestus played a crucial role in the Mutiny that followed, grappling with Hyperion and allowing a boarding party to retake control of the Fleet for the civilian government. The Gunstar went on to lead the Aquaria Campaign, but quickly was ordered by its commander, Colonel Sackhoff to retreat and abandon the personnel deployed on the planet. Hephaestus again played a crucial role in a ground operation during the Battle of Caprica. The Gunstar jumped into low orbit deploying Vipers and Landrams. It then touched down and deployed two battalions of marines in a massive diversionary attack. Specifications *Class: Prometheus Class Gunstar *Role: Escort, Blockade-runner, Light Carrier, Combat Boarding *Landing Capabilities: One flight pod - 40 Vipers, 10 Raptors (at maximum capacity) *Length: 820m (2690 ft) *Width: 202m (663 ft) *Height: 97m (318 ft) *Time between refits: 5 years *Time between resupply: 15 months *Speed: FTL Personnel Max Crew *Officers: 120 Max *Enlisted Crew: 500 Max *Marines: 500 Max *Passengers: 75 Max *Total: 1195 Max Current crew Breakdown *Command and CIC: (15 Officers / 45 Enlisted) *Vipers: (40 Officers) *Raptors: (20 Officers) *Deck Crew: (3 Officers / 150 Enlisted) *Engineering: (7 Officers / 110 Enlisted) *Medical Staff: (4 Officers / 20 Enlisted) *Support staff: ( 4 Officers / 75 Enlisted) *Marine: (24 Officers / 500 Enlisted) *Gun Crews: (3 Officers / 100 Enlisted) *Civilians: 0 *Total: 1120 Detailed Crew Roster A list of PC and NPC characters can be found here. Armament Bow *4 - 255mm anti-ship railgun turrets *6 - 205mm kinetic anti-ship turrets *12 - 55mm kinetic point defense turrets *2 - Nuclear Warhead Tubes *8 - Magnetic Grapnels Port *10 - 155mm kinetic anti-ship turrets *29 - 55mm kinetic point defense turrets *30 - 35mm kinetic point defense turrets *10 - Launch tubes *2 - Magnetic Grapnels Starboard *10 - 155mm kinetic anti-ship turrets *29 - 55mm kinetic point defense turrets *30 - 35mm kinetic point defense turrets *10 - Launch tubes *2 - Magnetic Grapnels Nuclear Warheads *10 - 5 megaton warheads Small Craft Complement *40 Mk VIII Vipers (40 Pilots) *10 Raptors (10 Pilots/10 E.C.O.s) *1 Colonial Shuttle *6 Landram Mark II Ground Assault Vehicles All turrets are double barreled* Category:Military Ship